Harrison Kivisu and PSCU @PeopleDailyKe
More than Sh500 million recovered from the Jersey Island graft case will be used to construct drug rehabilitation centres and safe houses for women experiencing gender-based violence, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
The President said the government is committed to the fight against graft and ensuring that all the wealth stolen from the public is recovered. “Those who loot public money will be forced to return it,” said Uhuru.
The money was seized by the Jersey Island authorities from former Kenya Power Company managing director Samuel Gichuru and ex-Energy minister Chris Okemo, who had stashed it in an offshore account belonging to Windward Trading Limited— the company Gichuru used to receive kickbacks in exchange for the award of lucrative tenders to foreign firms during his two-decade tenure at the helm of Kenya Power.
Okemo was named as a beneficiary of the bribes, according to court papers. The President made the remarks at State House, Mombasa on Wednesday evening when he addressed more than 8,000 youth, women and elders drawn from the six counties of the Coast region.
The Head of State assured of his government’s commitment to mainstreaming youth and women affairs in the development agenda. Uhuru also urged Coast residents to walk with the government in development as he outlined various projects his administration has implemented in the region since it came to office.
“We are delivering the promise we made. We have constructed more roads, connected more houses to electricity and issued more title deeds in the last three years than had been done since independence,” said the President.
The Head of State reiterated his call to Coast residents to unite and work together regardless of tribe, religion or political affiliations. “The needs people have know no religion, tribe or political party,” he said.
Kilifi North MP Gedion Mung’aro and Mijikenda Council of Elders secretary Vincent Mwachiro said the region will support the government because of the projects it has implemented.
Mung’aro cited the various roads that the government has constructed or is rehabilitating in the area. Cabinet Secretaries Joseph Nkaissery (Interior and Sicily Kariuki (Youth) outlined what their ministries are doing to promote security and gender equality, respectively.
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